Investing in closed water channels from Yen Lap Lake

The 26.5km long Yen Lap main canal carries water from Yen Lap Lake to the communes in the Ha Nam area (Quang Yen town), supplying water to water treatment plants for domestic use and irrigation for the entire town. As an open canal running through many densely populated areas, it frequently suffers from the dumping of waste into the canal, causing water pollution and posing a potential risk of drowning accidents.

The main canal of Yen Lap carries water from Yen Lap Lake to the communes in the Ha Nam area (Quang Yen town).

The Yen Lap main canal was constructed in 1978. On average, the canal provides irrigation water for thousands of hectares of cultivated land and nearly 33 million cubic meters of domestic water for the Quang Yen town area each year. Currently, all raw water supplied to the Quang Yen Waterworks, the Nam Hoa, Phong Hai, Lien Vi, Song Khoai, Hiep Hoa water stations, and units in industrial parks is sourced from the surface water of Yen Lap Lake via the N1 main canal, originating from Yen Lap Lake in Minh Thanh ward and extending to Tien Phong commune. The water supply connection system from the main canal to the reservoirs (sedimentation ponds) of the water treatment plants is either a pipe system or a closed ditch, with the remaining canals being open.

Due to long-term investment, the canal has deteriorated in some areas. The canal's surface is 5-7 meters wide, with many sections deep enough to submerge a person's head, the water flowing swiftly, and the banks steep and slippery, posing a danger to children. Mr. Nguyen Duy Hoa (Minh Thanh ward) shared: "My family has young children. Besides school time, when the children are at home, I always close the gate tightly. When they go out, I have to supervise them with an adult because they could fall into the canal at any time while playing. We hope the government will pay attention to investing in covering this canal to ensure the safety of the people and the water environment."

In the past, Yen Lap Irrigation Company Limited has coordinated with the local authorities to regularly deploy monitoring staff along the canal, establish a canal cleaning team, and sign commitments to ensure environmental hygiene with surrounding households. However, because it is an open canal running through many densely populated areas and production zones, the dumping of waste into the canal still occurs. Some households also graze buffalo and cattle close to the water channel, and livestock wastewater flows directly into the canal during rainy weather. Some households with production areas near the canal arbitrarily divert water from the canal to their ponds, causing water from the ponds to flow back into the canal at times, affecting water quality.

The open canal, running through many residential areas, poses a potential risk of drowning accidents.

Quang Yen currently has five industrial zones: Dong Mai, Nam Tien Phong, Bac Tien Phong, Song Khoai, and Bach Dang, attracting thousands of workers. Therefore, the demand for water for both domestic and industrial use is very high. Consequently, covering the canal system is essential. In numerous meetings, voters in the town have requested consideration of reinforcing the canal, investing in underground infrastructure, and covering the surface to ensure hygiene, security, and safety, but this issue remains unresolved. This situation not only affects the daily lives of residents but also poses a potential risk to water security.

To address voters' petitions and implement the directives of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has sent a document requesting the People's Committee of Quang Yen Town to include the project to upgrade and repair Yen Lap Lake and enclose the Yen Lap canal system. in the list of medium-term public investment projects for the period 2026-2030 . Through that The aim is to ensure water quality, meet the clean water needs of the people, and reduce the risk of drowning accidents for children and teenagers in the area.

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